Epistem Signs Up Xcelris to Distribute POC Diagnostic for TB in India

U.K. company is developing test using hand-held integrated Genedrive platform.!--h2>

Epistem inked a sales and marketing agreement for its tuberculosis (TB) molecular assay with India’s genomics research and diagnostic testing firm Xcelris Labs. After completing clinical testing, Epistem will prepare regulatory submissions in advance of the launch of the TB test. The biomarker-based TB assay has been developed using Epistem’s point-of-care Genedrive™ platform, which has been developed as a rapid, integrated hand-held system that provides diagnostic and drug resistance analyses within just 20–30 minutes. Xcelris will represent the firm’s partner for distributing the Genedrive™ technology across India and the Indian sub-continent. Epistem maintains its Genedrive diagnostic platform has applications for a range of viral, bacterial, fungal infections, and for identifying somatic mutations.

The U.K.-based firm is commercializing its expertise in epithelial stem cells for applications in the development of therapeutics, diagnostics, biomarker discovery collaborations, and the provision of research models, preclinical efficacy testing and clinical sample analysis (histology and molecular services) to the pharma and biotech industries. Epistem has specialist preclinical research and testing expertise in the fields of oncology, inflammatory bowel disease, and dermatology.

In late 2011 the firm partnered with researchers at the University of Manchester to develop new preclinical assays for wound repair, and separately reported establishing a human DNA Identification collaboration with the U.K’s National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA). Through this latter partnership Epistem and the NPIA will evaluate the Genedrive device as part of the NPIA’s ADAPT (Accelerated DNA Profiling Technology) program for DNA fingerprinting.